Free Suburban

[WHX?? 48,813]

Well went to see Dennys502 in MN while on vacation last week and picked up this 400 he was giving away. Story has it this came from VA after the owner was injured on a WH (not this one)  and he told Toro he didn't want it. Toro legal possibly had it shipped back to MN where Denny worked for Toro and legal asked him if he wanted it. He planned to do somewthing with it but since he is now retired and too busy...lol... He wanted another member to maybe have a crack at it so here we are. Still awfully nice for him to give it away and i promised that if I can't do anything with it I would pass it along to someone else here. We believe it to be an early 60's hence the Clinton motor and seat with out holes. More pictures of it and a different thread once I get going on it.

[stevasaurus 22,713]

If that Clinton is original, I think you have a 1958 RJ.  A good looking one.  Nice pictures. 

[WHX?? 48,813]

Since I know jack about a Suburban I will be looking for lots of advice and help here on what to do with it. Leaning towards a parade tractor.  It's not in real bad shape and the really nice thing is everything is pretty much there. after getting it home i did try and start the engine just to see if it would run before teardown.. Has spark, missing the recoil and gas leaks out of the bowl drain. Did get it chug once but didn't spend alot of time with it yet. Compression doesn't seem to be the best. fron wheels are real badly rusted due to the cloride in the tires for weight.

[slammer302 2,155]

you have a great looking horse to start with 

[stevasaurus 22,713]

WOW...that is nicer then I thought.  I'll bet by the end of today, you will have 20 guys tell you not to restore it.  This is that nice. 
They are only original once.  Charlie (Clintonnut) should have any Clinton parts you might need.  Are you planning on going to the Portage, Wis. show this weekend.  We will have some good guys there that really know about roundhoods.  You would be an expert by the end of the day.    Hard to say about those rims, but it looks like you have some pretty good, original tires also.
 

Edited July 6, 2015 by stevasaurus

[WHX?? 48,813]

Serial # per dash plate is 25531 if that helps out with id

Front tires have pretty much had it very dry rotted... backs are salvagable by deep cracks in the treads. I was thinking tri ribs for the front and ags for the back but what do I know?!?!? Gotta love someone's paint job...

[stevasaurus 22,713]

Check these picks of a 1958 RJ and see if things look the same.:)

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/907-1958-rj-58/

Here is a link to the show in Portage, Wis.  We will have a ton of Roundhoods there this weekend. 

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/52109-2015-annual-garden-tractor-daze-portage-wi-july-10-12-2015/

Edited July 6, 2015 by stevasaurus

[rmaynard 15,434]

I see a different front axle, and it's not an RJ hood Steve.

Still it's a great pick up.

Edited July 6, 2015 by rmaynard

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

Best of luck with it. Sure looks sweet.

Glenn

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Looks more like a 1960...
model 400 to me. 

Nice lookin' tractor for sure...  
no wonder...it came from one of the best. Edited July 6, 2015 by AMC RULES

[stevasaurus 22,713]

I was going by the Clinton engine, but the axle is swept.  Shows how much I know about these guys. 
 

[WHX?? 48,813]

All the  RJ's I see have a single throttle control on the dash, this one has got the throttle and a choke lever side by side with the cables under the dash. No ignition switch...would love to be at the portage show Steve. Get some ideas and the shows don't get any closer, trouble is my wife has not got my priorities strait...... yet!  

Going to pm clinton nut and see if the motor is worth going thru....otherwise I have a buddy who works in R&D @‌ Kohler that can get me a k90/91. Would like to keep the Clinton as OEM.

sorry about the fuzzy pics was kinda excited to see it sittin in my shop

[grnlark 479]

Its a 1960 Suburban

Edited July 7, 2015 by grnlark

[slammer302 2,155]

the deck looks to be a little older i think the 1961 deck had the four little wheels on it.

[953 nut 55,155]

It is definitely a 1960 Suburban 400!  A very nice gift and even though I am one of those "it is only original once" people, you should build it to your desire, not anyone else's. Thanks for sharing the story and photos.

[Ken B 3,164]

It looks like it has a 3 piece rear diff that a 60 would have and the body line does not go all the way down the center of the hood like a 61. IMO its a 60.

[WHX?? 48,813]

Thanks 953 on the restore advice as I am leaning toward new paint & and satisfy my stainless hardware craving. Deck does not have wheels.

[Racinbob 11,048]

As some have said, a Suburban 400 (1960) mainly based on the hood and motor controls. There's a couple little things that are a bit off so it's not 100% original for sure (especially the motor). That's all fine though. You got your hands on a nice one.

[Jake Kuhn 1,555]

Very nice find, and can't beat the price!  Also agree on a early 60 400 going by the early belt guard, solid seat pan, and the clinton engine. I would say leave it as is, just clean it up well fix mechanical stuff and paint the rims, they are pretty hard to find in this condition.

[Racinbob 11,048]

Oh oh! So Jake, the early 400's did have Clintons? I had a chance to get a Clinton from the guy I got my Suburban from. I've kicked myself several times. Also, that belt guard didn't look right to me. Again, possibly early 400?

[RedRanger 1,468]

That's a 1960 400, as mentioned.  Nice find.

60 hood
60 mower deck
60 seat
60 belt cover
60 serial tag too.

Yes, some had Clintons.

[Jake Kuhn 1,555]

I have seen several suburbans with clintons on them and I'm guessing they were just used up from previous years. And yep those belt guards aren't too common, they were used on early 400's and are similar looking to the rj58 guard but not quite the same.

[WHX?? 48,813]

Worked on the motor  A little last night and did get it to chug but not run. Carb leaks too bad. . Carb needs to be gone through so off to try and find a kit. Service manual said 60 psi  for compression and i got 50 so thats not the worst

Care to elaborate on how to read that serial # Red? Also if someone cares to take a crack at the serial number on the motor it would be interesting to know the date of man. If it's coded in there. Like Jake said I believe they had a few clintons left over from '59 so they used them up on early '60's.   If anybody has a IPL for the deck it would be appreciated, the only one I can find in the manuals if for a "61 36" RD and it doesn,t appear to be the same so they must have changed them in "61.

[Racinbob 11,048]

I think Wheel Horse used up a lot of older parts found on the shelf over the years. Sometimes I feel that Johnny Cash could have based his song on Wheel Horses instead of Caddys. I knew a JP back in those days that worked at the Wheel Horse factory and could have built many, many tractors from all the new parts in his garage, most of which came to be just like Johnny said. We also don't know what has been swapped out over the years. Nobody cared back in the 60's and 70's. When I helped my Dad on his newly purchases 400 I did more harm than good but when he bought the new 704 I was getting old enough to accomplish some constructive things and we were already accumulating quite a few parts and pieces from various years. Who's to say what was original and what wasn't?  I wish I could get one of those Dorito time machines and go back to the 60's but retain the knowledge of the collect-ability decades later. 

In any case Jim, I think you latched on to one of the nicest I've seen there's definitely a great story to go with it. That survivor choke/throttle plate is as nice as you'll find. There's a lot to love about that little tractor.

[CasualObserver 3,408]

Jim, come talk to me at Portage this weekend. There's no hidden info in the serial number, they just built them sequentially. 1960 Suburban 400 began production at #21900 somewhere around Aug-Oct 1959.